Form removal aspects on the waviness parameters for steel sheet in automotive applications : fourier filtering versus polynomial regression

Premium car makers attach great importance to the visual appearance of the painted car skin as an indication of product quality. The “orange peel” phenomenon constitutes a major problem here. It is not only depending on the paint’s chemical composition and application method, but also on possible waviness components in the sheet substrate. Therefore one is searching hard for a valuable waviness parameter to quantify the substrate’s fitness for purpose. A technically emerging problem is how to remove the form from the measured signal, which is indeed not significant to the orange peel phenomenon. This paper will compare two commonly used approaches: i.e. Fourier filtering versus polynomial regression and will reveal and quantify some common aspects in terms of wavelengths

Effect of point of care testing for C reactive protein and training in communication skills on antibiotic use in lower respiratory tract infections: cluster randomised trial

Objective To assess the effect of general practitioner testing for C reactive protein (disease approach) and receiving training in enhanced communication skills (illness approach) on antibiotic prescribing for lower respiratory tract infection

Improving management of patients with acute cough by C-reactive protein point of care testing and communication training (IMPAC(3)T): study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Most antibiotic prescriptions for acute cough due to lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in primary care are not warranted. Diagnostic uncertainty and patient expectations and worries are major drivers of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. A C-reactive protein (CRP) point of care test may help GPs to better guide antibiotic treatment by ruling out pneumonia in cases of low test results. Alternatively, enhanced communication skills training to help clinicians address patients' expectations and worries could lead to a decrease in antibiotic prescribing, without compromising clinical recovery, while enhancing patient enablement. The aim of this paper is to describe the design and methods of a study to assess two interventions for improving LRTI management in general practice. METHODS/DESIGN: This cluster randomised controlled, factorial trial will introduce two interventions in general practice; point of care CRP testing and enhanced communication skills training for LRTI. Twenty general practices with two participating GPs per practice will recruit 400 patients with LRTI during two winter periods. Patients will be followed up for at least 28 days. The primary outcome measure is the antibiotic prescribing rate. Secondary outcomes are clinical recovery, cost-effectiveness, use of other diagnostic tests and medical services (including reconsultation), and patient enablement. DISCUSSION: This trial is the first cluster randomised trial to evaluate the influence of point of care CRP testing in the hands of the general practitioner and enhanced communication skills, on the management of LRTI in primary care. The pragmatic nature of the study, which leaves treatment decisions up to the responsible clinicians, will enhance the applicability and generalisability of findings. The factorial design will allow conclusion to be made about the value of CRP testing on its own, communication skills training on its own, and the two combined. Evaluating a biomedical and communication based intervention ('hard' and 'soft' technologies) together in this way makes this trial unique in its field

Intensive covid-19 care in general practice; nationwide registration study, initiated by General Practice Research Consortium Netherlands

METHOD: Registration system initiated by General Practice Research Consortium Netherlands (GPRC-NL).AIM: To obtain national estimates on clinically suspected Covid-19 mortality in general practice and on intensive and palliative covid-19 care provided by general practitioners (GPs) outside hospital, including palliative medication, availability of personal protective equipment, and reasons for not referring to hospital of vulnerable patients during the first three months of the Covid-19 pandemic in The Netherlands.DESIGN: Nationwide registration study, in which 2.331 GP practices in The Netherlands participated from March-June 2020.METHOD: Registration system initiated by General Practice Research Consortium Netherlands (GPRC-NL) through existing digital referral platform ZorgDomein, in which GPs could report PCR-proven and clinically suspected Covid-19 deceased patients to estimate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in primary care.RESULTS: GPs reported 1,566 Covid-19 deceased patients, of which 61% (949/1,566) were clinically suspected but not PCR-tested, with large regional differences, and most deaths being reported in the provinces of Brabant and Limburg. Patients had a median duration from onset of symptoms to death of 8 days and a median age of 87 years. GPs reported 1,030 patients for which they delivered intensive or palliative care, of which 56% had a Clinical Frailty Score higher or equal to six. Most mentioned reason for GPs and patients in the decision not going to hospital were the explicit wish of the patient (59%) and somatic vulnerability (52%).CONCLUSION: GPs provided palliative care to a large number of clinically suspected Covid-19 vulnerable patients with large regional differences across The Netherlands. Reported GPs' and patients' considerations to refrain from hospital care can be used to guide future primary care for vulnerable Covid-19 patients.</p

Tourist spaces and tourism policy in Spain and Portugal

Advances in Cultura, Tourism and Hospitality Research;10, 235-249This study analyses the relationship between the development of the tourism policy of Spain and Portugal and their effects on regional imbalances. Despite the proximity of the two countries and their specialisation in tourism, there are few comparative studies on tourism of the two Iberian countries. The study focuses on the two major phases of tourism policy: the period of mass tourism and post-Fordist stage. In the conclusions we refer the debate on the existence of a model of development based on tourism to the Latin countries of Southern Europe and we note the export process of the Spanish low-cost tourism model to other countries.Financiado por el Gobierno de España, Programa Fundamental de Investigación, Proyecto de I+D (CSO2012-30840) "Geografías de la crisis: análisis de los territorios urbanos y turísticos de las Islas Baleares, Costa del Sol y principales destinos del Caribe y América Central"